If, like most fans of Eurovision, going to Vienna is out of the question, get your camp musical fix at Eurovision Your Decision at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. This clever, heady mix of comedy, cabaret and excellent vocal performances invites the audience to be part of one of the greatest music competitions on Earth.
The hosts, Dimitrius and Ureatha (Tim McArthur and Jo Wickham), welcome us warmly to the RVT arena, where we are treated to 15 songs, and we vote for our favourite. Starting with the confusing 'Save your kisses for me' from Brotherhood of Man, we see that not only is the comedy in the detail of the facial expression, but a huge amount of thought has gone into the costumes by Michelle Taylor, who has combined accuracy with the ability for the cast to change both costumes and characters at speed. Truly impressive. Keep an eye out for Tommy Cash's tie and the wonderful Hannah Elizabeth Clark as Sandy Shaw.
Laughter fills the room when we see David McMullan recreate 2024 winner Nemo with The Code. Somehow making this small stage feel like an arena. Everyone is on their feet dancing for Ukraine's Dancing Lasha Tumbai by Verka Serduchka. The occasional costume malfunction only adds to the atmosphere, willing the cast not to fully corpse but enjoying the required improvisation.
It would be remiss not to mention the choreography. Accurate, sharp, funny and adapted for the space beautifully. Intricate yet captivating.
The live performances are mixed with hilariously curated video snippets, introducing the audience to the countries that will perform, furnishing us with lesser-known facts about these countries, including but not limited to castles and chocolate.
15 songs down, and we get the chance to vote. Not that the winner matters. What matters is that the cast and crew clearly adore Eurovision and this production honours everything the competition stands for beautifully and is the perfect warm-up for the actual event.
Review: Sara Newman